Question about flash technique

[soltari675]

I've been practicing quite a bit with my camera. I even have some pictures posted in the gallery here. But I have a frequent problem that I am not sure if it is solved by camera settings, technique, or both and was hoping to get some insight from other photographers. I know the idea is to get as close as you can to your subject, however I find that doing so causes me to get too bright a flash on the subject. Here is an example:


This picture was taken with the flash set as low as possible. I use a sealife dc1000 camera and a sealife strobe. Sometimes, I can get decent pictures. Is it the angle of the strobe that can mean the difference between a good picture and a washed out one? Is there a setting on the camera that can help? Thank you for the advice in advance!

 

[00wabbit]

You want to make sure to open the trench coat at the last possible second so she doesn't see you approaching?


On a more serious note. You need to move the flash off to the side more so that the light does not reflect directly off the fish and back at the lens. Go into a dark room with a flash light and a mirror. Put the flashlight directly in front of your face and shine it at the mirror. You see the light comes straight back at you and it is too bright. Now do the same thing but move the light off to the side. You will see you are still lit up but the bulk of the lighting coming straight back at you.

Fish scales are like little mirrors. If you flash straight at them they are just going to shoot the light right back at you.

Remember with photography you aren't taking a picture of the fish. You are taking a picture of the light reflected off the fish.

 

[dmoore19]

I use one of these on my old DC-800 with a Sealife strobe. It really softens the light.

Flash Diffuser | Sealife Cameras

 

[Nemrod]

It is a challenge, one I have not certainly mastered. Silver fish with scales like mirrors are the worst (tarpon, barracuda, etc). I use a diffuser on each strobe and get them out as far as possible to the side and then angle each strobe outward yet further. If your strobe is a built in (P&S type) or a single strobe on a short arm directly over the camera, probably not possible. I may also intentionally under expose using white sand to meter and then set in that f stop and shutter speed. Try to rely as much as possible on ambient light, perhaps, turn your strobe output way down. jpegs straight from camera.

Not exactly sure what your rig is but some of the full auto only P&S type underwater cameras with built in strobe or the strobe mounted on a short flex arm, good luck, you simply may not have control over the exposure enough to deal with this situation and the strobe is much, much to on axis. The light will bounce directly back from the subject and in this case a mirror scaled fish, it will bloom or flare. It is required to go to manual exposure and move the strobe (preferably strobes) as far off axis and angled outward as possible. This is one of several (many) limitations of cameras without full manual control of shutter, aperture and strobe settings.

N

 

[soltari675]

Thanks a ton for the hints and gorgeous pictures. Mine is a single strobe for now, on a flexible arm where I can move it around. It does have a setting for auto, and manual setting for the strobe. I have tried it all the way low, but still sometimes get the washed out effect. But it makes sense to focus on something lighter than the fish perhaps, and moving the strobe to not flash directly on them. With the diffuser, do you still get enough light from the flash? Is it only partially blocked?

 

[Nemrod]

Thanks a ton for the hints and gorgeous pictures. Mine is a single strobe for now, on a flexible arm where I can move it around. It does have a setting for auto, and manual setting for the strobe. I have tried it all the way low, but still sometimes get the washed out effect. But it makes sense to focus on something lighter than the fish perhaps, and moving the strobe to not flash directly on them. With the diffuser, do you still get enough light from the flash? Is it only partially blocked?

The diffuser is a good bet. Yes, it will cut your light down from the strobe but it will soften it also. Use it. If your camera allows plus or minus exposure in auto (often indicated by a +/- symbol, set it minus 2 (under exposure).

Also, something I did not mention, if you can get the fish to cooperate try to get the body of the fish at an angle. That way the bulk of the flash reflection, will be sent away from your camera lens. Imagine that you want the light to go from your strobe and then bounce back to your lens. You want there to be as much angular difference between the strobe and lens as possible within reason. My old Nikonos rig I could actually remove the strobe arm and hand hold it (it had a coiled sync cord). Sometimes I would have the strobe angle nearly 90 degrees from my lens.

It really helps to be able to stop and concentrate, something not (usually) always possible. Your conditions, there in what looks like Table Rock Lake, very challenging, that is a hard shot to make even for a pro (which I want to reiterate, I am not--my wife asked me why cannot I sell my photos---I looked at her with a blank look, like why not ask me why I cannot be a brain surgeon or something---I am not good enough, plain and simple, duh). A good photo I hear said is more luck than skill, I cannot argue with that.

And, BTW, you can do a lot even with very simple cameras, did not mean to imply otherwise and learn a lot as well.

N

 

[soltari675]

A huge help. Thanks again. I've gotten lucky a few times, but no, it's not easy. This example was in a local quarry, but conditions are the same as Table Rock. Have a few there too. I don't even bother to try until it's cold like it is now and the water is pretty clear.

 

[Tigerman]

Are you focusing the strobes so that the brightest part of the cone is directly on the target?
You could try to adjust the strobe so that you use the softer, outer part of the light cone as much as possible as well..